Active Discussion Approaches for the Synchronous Online World Language Classroom

2022 ◽  
pp. 88-105
Author(s):  
Julie A. Sellers

The COVID-19 pandemic changed the context of world language teaching and learning around the globe in 2020 when schools unexpectedly switched to remote learning. In the face of this unanticipated shift, world language educators sought ways to adapt communicative language teaching to remote delivery. Active discussion approaches effectively encourage students to master course material and gain proficiency in synchronous online classes. This chapter discusses best practices for active discussions and offers examples for creating engaging discussion approaches for synchronous online world language classes.

RELC Journal ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 003368822199807
Author(s):  
Joseph Foley

This article discusses language teaching and the move from a predominantly psycholinguistic to a more sociolinguistic approach through Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), the Common European Framework of Reference Languages (CEFR) and English as an International Language (EIL). The context is four plurilingual and pluricultural societies in Southeast Asia and East Asia, (Thailand, Japan, Vietnam and China). These countries were chosen as they had similarities in the development of CEFR and consequently there were common factors that needed to be addressed in implementing CEFR. According to the English Proficiency Index (2020) a number of countries in the region have been described as being in the category of low or very low with regard to proficiency. To help improve such a situation, given the need for economic development, CEFR was introduced by various Ministries of Education in addition to the already existing official CLT syllabuses. English as an international language has also been widely proposed by a number of researchers, in terms of making teachers, students and educators aware of English as a world language as well as developing an attitudinal change with regard to ‘standard’ English. This article suggests that the basic principles of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) can be best applied through scaffolding using CEFR and EIL given the reality of teaching in relatively low English language proficiency contexts.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 171-193
Author(s):  
Lucía Pintado Gutiérrez

AbstractThis article explores the agency of the student in translation in language teaching and learning (or TILT). The purpose of the case study discussed here is to gain an overview of students’ perceptions of translation into the foreign language (FL) (also known as “inverse translation”) following a module on language and translation, and to analyse whether there is any correlation between students’ attitude to translation, its impact on their language learning through effort invested, and the improvement of language skills. The results of the case study reveal translation to be a potentially exciting skill that can be central to FL learning and the analysis gives indications of how and why language teachers may optimise the implementation of translation in the classroom. The outcome of the study suggests that further research is needed on the impact of translation in the language classroom focussing on both teachers’ expectations and students’ achievements.


RELC Journal ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 003368822097854
Author(s):  
Kevin Wai-Ho Yung

Literature has long been used as a tool for language teaching and learning. In the New Academic Structure in Hong Kong, it has become an important element in the senior secondary English language curriculum to promote communicative language teaching (CLT) with a process-oriented approach. However, as in many other English as a second or foreign language (ESL/EFL) contexts where high-stakes testing prevails, Hong Kong students are highly exam-oriented and expect teachers to teach to the test. Because there is no direct assessment on literature in the English language curriculum, many teachers find it challenging to balance CLT through literature and exam preparation. To address this issue, this article describes an innovation of teaching ESL through songs by ‘packaging’ it as exam practice to engage exam-oriented students in CLT. A series of activities derived from the song Seasons in the Sun was implemented in the ESL classrooms in a secondary school in Hong Kong. Based on the author’s observations and reflections informed by teachers’ and students’ comments, the students were first motivated, at least instrumentally, by the relevance of the activities to the listening paper in the public exam when they saw the similarities between the classroom tasks and past exam questions. Once the students felt motivated, they were more easily engaged in a variety of CLT activities, which encouraged the use of English for authentic and meaningful communication. This article offers pedagogical implications for ESL/EFL teachers to implement CLT through literature in exam-oriented contexts.


IIUC Studies ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 71-86
Author(s):  
Md Mohib Ullah

With the progress of time, the aim of teaching and learning English as a Second Language (ESL) or English as a Foreign Language (EFL) changed, and so did the approaches and methods in language teaching. Different methods and approaches emerged and were replaced, influenced or contributed to the emergence of new methods. It is widely acknowledged that one umbrella approach to language teaching that has become the accepted "norm" in this field is the Communicative Language Teaching Approach. This study deals with the theories and practices of CLT at the Higher Secondary level in Bangladesh. Realizing the significance of CLT, The Ministry of Education in Bangladesh made groundbreaking attempts to implement CLT in the new context and also brought some changes in the curriculum in 1990s. Along with attempting to provide a real picture of how CLT is practiced and utilized in an ESL/EFL context, this study focuses on the Practice of CLT approach in Bangladesh. Moreover, this study intends to propose some propositions to be implemented for better practice of CLT in ESL/EFL contexts.IIUC Studies Vol.12 December 2015: 71-86


2011 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 201 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Khatib ◽  
Saeed Rezaei ◽  
Ali Derakhshan

This paper is a review of literature on how literature can be integrated as a language teaching material in EFL/ESL classes. First, it tracks down the place of literature in language classes from the early Grammar Translation Method (GTM) to Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) era. The paper then discusses the reasons for the demise and resurrection of literature as an input for language classes. After that the reasons for and against the use of literature in EFL/ESL classes are enumerated and discussed. For so doing, the researchers draw upon recent ideas on language teaching practice and theories. Finally in a practical move, this paper reviews the past and current approaches to teaching literature in language teaching classes. Five methodological models for teaching literature are proposed.


2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 133
Author(s):  
Jason D. Hendryx

Después de más de una década de observaciones en clases de más de una docena de idiomas, en múltiples instituciones de educación secundaria y de educación superior en varios países, se puede afirmar que existen tres usos pedagógicos clave para una introducción exitosa de la tecnología por parte de los profesores. Los tres usos identificados son: el direccional, el de desarrollo, y el crítico. En lo sucesivo, llamados usos 3D. Los datos de observación obtenidos sugieren que cuando un profesor de idiomas introduce la tecnología en el aula por medio de cualquiera de los tres usos indicados, incrementa el éxito de resultados. El éxito aquí debe entenderse como un mayor nivel de interacción, de motivación, de compromiso y de producción de lenguaje por parte de las estudiantes. Mientras tanto las observaciones de profesores que introducen la tecnología en el aula sin tener en cuenta los usos 3D, revelaron aplicaciones rígidas y aburridas de los medios tecnológicos para la enseñanza y el aprendizaje de idiomas. Dichas aplicaciones muchas veces se caracterizan por desdeñar el contexto pedagógico de manera que generan entre los estudiantes escasos o nulos niveles de interacción o de producción de lenguaje.Grounded in over a decade of language classroom observations, in multiple institutions of secondary and higher education in several countries, across over a dozen languages, three key features of what appear to be successful applications of technology by instructors in these classes for language teaching emerged. These features came to be identified as directional, developmental, and decisive—Hereafter referred to as the 3Ds. Observational data suggests that when an instructor embraces any of the 3Ds while using technology for teaching and learning purposes, the more successful that application of technology seems to be. Success here should be understood as higher levels of student interaction, engagement, and motivation, with more kinds and types of student language being produced.  Meanwhile, observations of instructors who did not utilize any of the 3Ds, revealed stiff, uninspiring uses of technology, oftentimes devoid of context, which did not result in much, if any, student interaction or language production.  


2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 17
Author(s):  
Arini Sabrina

2013 Curriculum now has been implemented so widely in Indonesia, especially in English teaching and learning process. It delineates some focal points like student-centred active learning and contextual teaching which hopefully brings the students to learn more effectively. Furthermore, there is an apparent unanimity that the curriculum may lead the meaningfulness of learning. In relation to English teaching approach, Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) is likened to the latest curriculum. CLT emphasises on the context and authenticity. Thus, this approach should go along with 2013 Curriculum. This study aims at finding out the implementation of CLT in line with the curriculum, since many previous studies alert some problems happening while CLT is applied not in ESL as its birthplace, yet in EFL context. In fact, Indonesia perceives English as foreign language. But, there are still few studies related to this approach. After observation and document tracking are conducted, it is concluded that Scientific Approach and Communicative Language Teaching Approach are able to blend to create more effective communicative learning.


Author(s):  
Mingyu Sun ◽  
Yea-Fen Chen ◽  
Andrew Olson

The virtual language classroom is becoming more commonplace, and for many instructors it is even a requirement. This chapter aims to present a virtual language classroom case study and to propose a prototype for instructors to develop and implement fully online entry-level language classes, as well as to provide guidelines and recommendations for their reference as they redesign traditional face-to-face language courses to fit the online modality. As the case study progressed, the authors discovered that this new modality of online language instruction poses many challenges. Their research aims to answer questions, such as: 1) is the online instruction in the case study comparable to the face-to-face class? and 2) how can one best balance synchronous and asynchronous components in an entry-level online language (Chinese in specific) course?


2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 226
Author(s):  
Abdul Hameed Panhwar ◽  
Shahnaz Baloch ◽  
Sanam Khan

This paper examines communicative language teaching (CLT) and its significance in terms of language teaching and learning. The actual purpose of the paper is to explore the causes of failure of CLT in Pakistan and other developing countries in order to suggest the ways to make it successfully effective in the context. It is found that contextual problems such as overuse of traditional methods of teaching such as lecturing and large classes always come into clash with the use of CLT in the developing countries such as Pakistan because CLT is in fact a method developed and used in the developed countries where the contextual issues found in the educational institutes are rare as compared to developing countries.


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